12/06/2007 00:00:00
Europe: One-fifth of MEPs support decriminalisation of cannabis
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A wide-ranging survey of Members of the European Parliament - including
Britain's representatives - has revealed strong support for the
decriminalisation of cannabis across Europe.
The team from The Universities of Manchester, Aberystwyth and the London
School of Economics also revealed controversial attitudes to abortion,
crime, defence and immigration among members.
Professors David Farrell from The University of Manchester, Simon Hix
from the London school of Economics and Roger Scully from the University
of Aberystwyth, contacted all 732 MEPs of whom 272 responded.
The study - carried out in summer 2006 - found that one-fifth of the
MEPs felt marijuana should be decriminalised.
One-third of British MEPs - much higher than the average- supported
decriminalisation, though Dutch MEPs were the most liberal at 83 per cent.
Other results included:
* Half of the MEPs (51%) think there should be more harmonisation
of national immigration policies. The British figure, however, is less
than one-third at 32%.
* Just short of three-quarters of MEPs (70%) think that women
should be free to decide on abortion, though only 20% of Irish MEPs agree.
* Three-quarters (73%) of MEPs think there should be EU-wide arrest
warrants for serious crimes. 54%of British MEPs agree.
* 40% of MEPs think that the EU rather than NATO should be
responsible for European defence, though only 29 % of British MEPs agree.
* 40% of MEPs think that EU foreign policy should be a
counterweight to the US. In the case of French MEPs, the figure rises to
64%.
* 68% of MEPs think the EU should no longer meet in Strasbourg,
though only 7 per cent of French MEPs agree.
Professor Farrell, Head of the School of Social Sciences at The
University of Manchester, said: "For much of its life, the European
Parliament could have been justly labelled a 'multi-lingual talking shop'.
"But this is no longer the case: the EP is now one of the most powerful
legislatures in the world both in terms of its legislative and executive
oversight powers.
"The views of MEPs as shown in this survey may very well have a direct
impact on policy and therefore on all citizens in the EU.
"So the public should sit up and take notice of what their
representatives are saying."
Professor Simon Hix from the London school of Economics added: "Our work
also shows that politics in the European Parliament is becoming
increasingly based around party and ideology.
"Voting is increasingly split along left-right lines, and the cohesion
of the party groups has risen dramatically, particularly in the fourth
and fifth parliaments.
"So there are likely to be policy implications here too."
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The survey will be officially launched at the Brussels European
Parliament headquarters of the European Parliament on June 13, 2007.
A more comprehensive data sheet is available.
UK National Centre for Social Research designed the web-site on which
the survey was hosted. Each MEP was contacted personally by letter
(translated into their mother tongue), and invited to participate in the
survey online.
Professors Farrell and Hix are available for comment
For more details contact:
Mike Addelman
Media Relations Officer
Faculty of Humanities
The University of Manchester
0161 275 0790
07717 991 567
michael.addelman@manchester.ac.uk
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=118486
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=12610
Author:
University of Manchester via UKCIA
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